(Article) Central Legislation for Street Vendors

Central Legislation for Street Vendors

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New Policy: Rationale:

• The Ministry of Housing & urban Poverty Alleviation had come up with a new National Policy on Urban Street Vendors in 2009 after a comprehensive review of the previous policy. For Inclusive Growth, Poverty Alleviation
• The Policy underscores the need for a legislative framework to enable street vendors to pursue an honest living without harassment from any quarter. – Safeguarding Rights of Vulnerable Section.
  Rationale for New Law
• Central Government had drafted a Model Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2009 and circulated to all States/UTs, requesting them to take a cue while legislating on the subject. But the progress on state legislation has not been encouraging.
• Central government has been receiving continuous representations from the individual street vendors and their organisations to bring a central legislation which would be uniformly and mandatorily applicable to all the states and UTs.
• Central government is working to evolve and effective and practical central legislation for protection of livelihood rights and social security of street vendors in consultation with all concerned stakeholders including State Governments.

Principles Involved in New Bill

• Vending zones/spaces are demarcated for the street vendors. While demarcating the concept of traditional natural markets to be kept in mind. — Demarcating Space, Striking Balance Between Custom, Convention, Traffic Congestion, Right to Livelihood & Right to Clean Environment etc
• Adequate representation to street vendors and women in particular, is provided in the institutional structures created for ensuring proper implementation of the proposed law. — Women Empowerment
• A robust, effective and quick grievance redressal and dispute resolution mechanism is established. — Quick Grievance Redressal

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